ICJP writes to UK authorities over woman threatened with arrest for opposing genocide
ICJP said armed police threatened peaceful protester Laura Murton, 42, for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'.
She was threatened with arrest under terrorism laws, despite not saying anything or holding any signs that denoted support for any proscribed groups. When explicitly asked if she supported any proscribed organisations, she replied 'I do not.'
ICJP said on Friday that it had brought a formal complaint to Kent Police, asking for clarity regarding the conduct of officers who attempted to make unfounded allegations against Murton for her protest.
It also asked the Home Secretary for clarity on what guidance the Home Office has issued to police officers regarding protests that do not relate to Palestine Action, a group that was recently proscribed by the UK government.
"This incident represents the sought chilling effect on speech and assembly of those who wish to speak out against Israel's violations of international law, that arises from misuse and misinterpretation of terror laws since the proscription of Palestine Action," ICJP said.
It accused UK authorities of misusing the ban "to police the support for Palestine more generally, and any opposition to Israel's genocide in Gaza".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
4 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Hamas says Israel blocking ceasefire and captive release talks
The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas on Friday accused Israel of blocking a deal in talks for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Negotiators from both sides have been in indirect talks in Qatar since July 6 to try to agree on a 60-day truce in the conflict, which would see 10 captives freed. But after nearly two weeks, there has been no breakthrough and each side has blamed the other for refusing to budge on their key demands. For Israel, those demands include dismantling Hamas as a fighting force and security threat while Hamas wants firmer guarantees on a lasting peace, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the freer flow of aid. In a video statement broadcast on Friday, the spokesman for the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida, said Hamas had "always proposed a comprehensive deal that will return all the hostages at once." But he said Israel "rejected what we proposed," urging it to reconsider. "If the enemy remains obstinate in this round of negotiations we cannot guarantee a return to the partial-deal proposals — including the 10-prisoner (hostage) exchange offer," he added. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that the talks remained in their "first phase" and that mediators were stepping up efforts to reach an agreement. The Qatari spokesman refused to accept there was a stalemate and said there was no set timeframe for the talks. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would be prepared to enter talks for a longer-term ceasefire once a temporary halt in fighting is agreed. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Agence France-Presse
Gulf Today
4 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Muslim Council of Elders condemns, rejects Israeli plans to control Ibrahimi Mosque
The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, strongly condemns the Israeli occupation's plans to transfer administrative control of the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and the Hebron Municipality to the Jewish Religious Council in the Kiryat Arba Settlement. The Council unequivocally rejects such provocative actions, which undermine efforts to achieve stability and constitute a grave violation of the historical and legal status of the Ibrahimi Mosque. It urges respect for the established status of holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Muslim Council of Elders renews calls to the international community to uphold and protect sacred sites by preserving their religious and historical significance, and urgently address the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, which has persisted for over seven decades. The Council further demands an immediate end to the aggression in the Gaza Strip, the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian and relief aid, and the recognition of the Palestinian people's legitimate right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. WAM
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
War on Gaza: Qassam spokesman Abu Obaida says Israel rejected deal to release all captives
The official spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced on Friday that the Palestinian group repeatedly offered to release all the captives held in Gaza at once, as part of a comprehensive ceasefire deal, but Israel rejected the offer. In his first video appearance in more than four months, Abu Obaida said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet "rejected what we proposed". "War criminal Netanyahu and his ministers rejected our offer. It became clear they are not interested in the fate of their soldiers," he said, accusing the Israeli leadership of preparing the public for the possibility that all the captives will die. His comments came as indirect talks resumed in Qatar without any progress. If Israel disavows this round of talks, Abu Obaida said, Hamas "will not guarantee a return to the formula of partial [swap] deals or the proposal of the 10 prisoners". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Earlier this week, sources told Middle East Eye that the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza had reached out to Hamas through a representative to ask about the fate of the ceasefire talks. The sources told MEE that the representative reached out to Hamas after the captives' families feared Netanyahu was trying to torpedo a possible deal. A senior figure within Hamas told the representative to relay to the families that it was "serious" about reaching an agreement to end the war and release the captives, but that it was facing "intransigent Israeli positions", sources told MEE. Exclusive: Families of Israeli captives reach out to Hamas over fate of ceasefire talks Read More » According to sources, the Hamas official told the representative that the Palestinian movement had complied with "everything stipulated" in the first phase of the previous ceasefire, which was supposed to transition to phase two talks on ending the war. "Hamas is serious about reaching an agreement to end the war and establish arrangements that ensure calm and stability," the sources quoted Hamas as saying. "Israel has insisted on continuing the war, destroying the Gaza Strip, displacing its population, and imposing a state of hunger, suffering, and ongoing massacres that have not ceased for a single day." Hamas and Israel reached a brief three-stage ceasefire in January, but the deal collapsed in March after Israel took back several of its captives and resumed bombing Gaza, walking away from the deal before talks with Hamas on a permanent end to the war could start. Since then, the Trump administration has given Israel full backing to wage war on Gaza. For more than 21 months, Israel has relentlessly bombed the besieged Gaza Strip, displacing the entire 2.3 million population multiple times, and has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. 'Everyone who can act must do so' On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said talks on a Gaza ceasefire were going along well, repeating remarks he made a week earlier when Netanyahu visited Washington. In contrast, MEE reported on Saturday that Hamas negotiators were sceptical that a ceasefire agreement could be reached in the current round of talks in Doha, Qatar. Sources close to Palestinian negotiators said talks have remained deadlocked over at least two of four key issues. The first is the extent of the proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip during a 60-day truce. The second is the method of aid distribution. The US has reportedly proposed postponing discussions on these two points, instead focusing on the names of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in exchange for the remaining Israeli captives. In Friday's video, Abu Obaida said that Qassam fighters had killed or wounded hundreds of Israeli soldiers in recent months after it launched the operation, "Stones of David." According to Israeli media, at least 893 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which sparked the war on Gaza. In the video, Abu Obaida thanked "all the free people around the world" who had shown solidarity with Palestinians and attempted to break the siege on the enclave. He also heaped praise on Yemen's Houthis, calling them "truthful brothers" who "exposed the cowardice of those who remain passive". Abu Obaida also strongly criticised Arab leaders for failing to mobilise their armies in defence of Palestinians, saying: "The enemy would not have committed genocide in full view of the nation's leaders unless it was assured of impunity, guaranteed silence, and bought betrayal." He stressed that no one was exempt from the responsibility of the bloodshed. "We do not absolve anyone. Everyone who can act, according to their ability and influence, must do so," he said.
